Lee is my top Catt says Sunderland boss O’Neill

MARTIN O’Neill said the decision to recall troubled skipper Lee Cattermole to the side in Sunderland’s last outing was an easy one to make.

And he believes the captain has a key role to play in the weeks and months ahead in getting the best possible return from the Sunderland squad.

The midfielder missed O’Neill’s first game in charge through suspension and there were question marks over whether he would return to the side after he and Nicklas Bendtner were arrested last Thursday in connection with allegations of vandalism to cars in Newcastle earlier in the month.

However, O’Neill played both men at Loftus Road on Wednesday and was rewarded by tremendous performances.

Bendtner scored on the night and had one of his best performances in a Sunderland shirt, while Cattermole was typically tenacious in midfield and drove on his team throughout.

“It was an easy decision to make in bringing Lee back in,” said O’Neill. “Not something I had to spend any length of time thinking about.

“He’s a great player to have in your side and I think you saw that on the night against Queens Park Rangers.”